Safety block



March 20, 1934. D. MASCH El AL SAFETY BLOCK Filed Sept. 14 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l lnveniord' lairzeazz'cfi 1212260}; M jyeo lorazz'o Patented Mar. 20, 1934 rice SAFETY BLOCK Domenic]: Masch and Angelo Dorazio, Glassport, Pa.

Application September 14, 1932, Serial No. 633,205

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a safety block for use in arresting or retarding the movement of a vehicle, such as a car or truck along a track.

The object of this invention is to provide a car stop especially adapted for use in mines for retaining a car against movement along the'track, and which can be readily operated to release the car.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a car stop of the above-mentioned character which in no wise need be clamped to the rails of the track, and which is further provided with suitable means for anchoring the stop in position between the rails of the track.

The invention together with its numerous objects and advantages will be better understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view showing the car stop in use.

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the stop, the released position of the head being shown in dotted lines.

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of the stop.

Figures 4 and 8 are sectional views taken substantially on the lines 4-4 and 88 respectively of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a rear view, certain parts being omitted and other parts being shown in section.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view showing the latch means for retaining the head in vertical operative position.

With reference more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that the car stop comprises a post 5 formed of suitable material and of any suitable length. Adjacent its upper end the post 5 is provided with a slot 6 in which is pivoted as at 7 a depending tongue 8 provided on a head block or member 9.

The pivot 7 is releasably retained in position through the medium of a pair of cotter pins 10,-

one of which is engaged with the apertured free end of the pivot, and the other of which is engaged with the apertured head 11 of said pivot.

For releasably retaining the head 9 in a vertical position, there is provided a locking pin 12 that is mounted for lateral sliding movement on the post 5 as at 13, and is adapted to engage an aperture provided in the tongue 8 at a point below the pivot 7 in the manner suggested in Figure 7 to hold the head 9 in vertical position.

The pin 12 is normally urged inwardly to engage the tongue 8 through the medium of a coil spring 14 that is engaged with the outer end of the pin 12 in a manner clearly shown in Figure 7, and the ends of the spring 14 are anchoredto the post 5 as at 15.

Remote control means is provided for retracting the pin 12 to release the head 9, and such means consists of a lever 16 pivoted to the outer end of the pin 12 as at 17 and also pivoted to a block 18 provided on one side of the post 5.

(See Figure 3.) I

A cable 19 is secured at one end to the lever and is trained over a suitable pulley 20, and normally extended longitudinally of the track T as shown in Figure 1.

To kick the head 9 from the vertical position shown in full lines in Figure 2 to the horizontal position suggested by broken lines'in said figure, there is provided on the upper end of the post 5 a leaf spring 21 that has its free end engaged with the tongue 8 below the pivot '7.

From the description of the invention thus far it will be seen that with the parts shown in the drawings, the head 9 is secured in vertical position. With the head 9 in such position, it will be apparent that the truck or car designated genrallyby the reference character C travelling over the track '1 will engage the head 9 so that the movement of the car C will be retarded.

To permit the car C to continue its forward movement, all that is necessary is to pull on the cable 19 toward the right in Figure 1, which will cause the lever 16 to rotate in a clockwise direction for retracting the pin 12 against the action of the spring 13. Upon retraction of the pin 12, and the action of the spring 21 on the tongue 8, the head 9 will be caused to swing in an anti-clockwise direction to the full line position shown in Figure 2 to the dotted line position of said figure, thereby permitting the car C to move in the intended direction.

For anchoring the car stop in the path of the car C between the rails of the track T there is provided a peg 23 that is adapted to be driven into the ground, and at its upper end is provided with a shank 24 fitting ina notch 25 provided in the post 5 adjacent the front side of the post, and any suitable means as indicated generally at 26 may be used for securing the shank 24 within the notch 25.

On the rear side thereof and adjacent its upper \105 end, the post 5 provided with a pair of vertical pockets 27 and in each of the pockets is a headed pin that is suitably secured in that position through the medium of lugs and cotter pin means 27.

There is also provided a pair of brace members 28 and each of these brace members has one end thereof arranged in a pocket 27 and engaged With the pivot in said pocket. At its free end each brace member 28 is bifurcated to receive the tongue of a ground penetrating finger 29, the tongue of said finger being secured in the furcation of the brace member 28 through the medium of suitable bolt and nut means 30. Finger 29 is made of steel to permit sharpening.

Each of the members 28 is braced relative to the post 5 through the medium of a turnbuckle brace 31, and as shown in Figure 4-, each turnbuckle 31 has the eye on one shank thereof engaged with an eye on the rear end of the post 5, as at 32, while the other shank of each turnbuckle is provided at its free end with a loop 33 embracing a member 28 as shown.

Each member 28 inwardly from its bifurcated end is also provided with a notch for receiving the loop 33, and obviously, after the finger equipped ends of the members 28 are driven into the ground, the turnbuckles 31 are tightened for securing the members 28 in position relative to the post 5.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have provided a car stop of relatively few parts, and wherein the several parts are capable of being easily separated, with the result that when a part becomes broken, it can be readily replaced With a new part.

Even though we have herein shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of further changes, modifications and improvements coming within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a post provided with ground penetrating means at its lower end for securing the post perpendicular to the ground, a head pivotally associated with the upper end of the post to swing vertically, a locking pin mounted for lateral sliding movement on the post and engageable with the head for normally retaining the same in upright position, and remote control means connected with the pin for shifting the same out of engagement with said head.

2. In a safety block, a post provided at its lower end with means for securing the post perpendicularly to the ground between the rails of a track, a head pivotally associated with the upper end of the post for vertical swinging movement, means engaging the head for normally urging the same to rotate in one direction, a locking pin slidably mounted on the post and engageable with the head for releasably retaining the same in substantial vertical alinement with the post, and manual means for retracting the pin to release said head.

3. In a device of the character described, a post located between track rails, an abutment head pivotally associated with the upper end of the post, a latch pin slidably mounted on the post and engageable with the head to releasably lock the same in set position relative to the post, brace members pivoted at one end to the post and having on the free ends thereof ground penetrating elements, and turn buckles pivoted at one end to the post adjacent the bottom of the latter, and having free ends provided with loops embracing said brace members and engageable with notches provided in the brace members.

4. A safety block comprising in combination a post adapted to be mounted adjacent a track, an abutment head pivotally associated with the post, a latch pin slidably mounted on the post and engageable with the head for locking the same in set position relative to the post, a spring device engaged with the latch pin and yieldably urging the same into locking engagement with the head, a lever pivotally mounted on the post and also having a pivotal connection with said pin, and an operating cable connected at one end thereof with said lever.

DOMENICK MASCH.

his ANGELO DORAZIO.

mark Witness to mark:

OLIVER C. EVANS. 

